I remember the when (after I got my ego, my intellect and my logic out of His way) God spoke to me with His message of restoration. It was beautiful and nothing has ever been the same. That day my world changed, some slowly and some rapidly.
Revelation 21 will not, I believe, happen that way. God, speaking through John, says that the old heaven and the old earth (the ones that are broken and fallen) "had disappeared." The sea is also gone. And New Jerusalem (no longer a place for a preferred race called Jews) comes down out of heaven, "beautifully dressed for her husband." What will this dress look like? This dress will represent the good deeds of the saints (19:8) ... the actions of God's holy people. God, in His great memory will place into being a verse from Leviticus 26, making "his home among his people." For you who hate change, everything will be new (21:5).
What an event this will be! Fallen creation, fallen people and the fallen heavens (because of Satan's rebellion) will be totally restored and it won't look like anything you could describe. You get the idea as John says "the city was pure gold, as clear as glass." But wait ... gold is not as clear as glass (even pure gold). John is out of words, out of descriptive terms and, again my speculation, out of breath. And what is the most beautiful thing? ... the light of the Lamb and the very presence of God!
As the old preacher says about Jesus, "I wish I could describe it to you!" ... but you'll just have to see it for yourself. Pastor Randy
